Maplewood, NJ Birding Trails and Maps

1479 Reviews

Looking for the best Birding trails around Maplewood?

Find the top rated birding trails in Maplewood, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

Although just a mile long, the Beach Channel Drive Greenway in Queens offers expansive views of Jamaica Bay and the beautiful Marine Parkway Bridge as it traces the border of Jacob Riis Park. On the...

The 2.8-mile eastern phase of the Bedminster Hike and Bikeway allows pedestrians and cyclists to safely traverse part of Bedminster Township by crossing over I-287 and US 206/202 via a series of three...

In the mid 1800s Chester, New Jersey, was the home of the iron ore industry; railroads shipped the ore all over the county. With the end of the industry, however, the rail lines were abandoned, turned...

The Columbia Trail strings together forests, farms and parklands as it stretches 15 miles among the small towns of High Bridge, Califon, Long Valley and Washington. Most of the corridor parallels the...

The City of Port Jervis is the latest community to save a portion of the former D&H Canal and turn it into a greenway for use by residents and visitors. A section of the canal, which is approximately...

The Ellen Farrant Memorial Bikeway offers a paved bicycle and pedestrian route on the southwestern end of Long Island, paralleling Wantagh Parkway from Seaford to Jones Beach State Park. The trail is...

Brooklyn's Flatbush Avenue Greenway parallels its namesake roadway for just over a mile from Marine Parkway Bridge to a connection with the Shore Parkway Greenway Trail. The two trails are part of the...

Hudson River Greenway stretches between Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan and the Little Red Lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge. The trail passes through Hudson River Park,...

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway is a 1.5 mile walkway along the bank of the Hudson River in Jersey City. The walkway offers stunning views of Manhattan as well as access to a number of ferries and...

The Hutchinson River Greenway offers a convenient alternative to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which it closely follows. Although adjacent to the busy thoroughfare, trees have been planted along the...

The John Kieran Nature Trail is a short loop that borders Van Cortlandt Lake and its associated wetlands. It is a wonderful site for bird-watching. The trail also passes several sites of significance...

The Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...

The Karamac Trail is a short walking trail that starts under the Interstate 80 bridge on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. The trail follows an old railroad right-of-way; there is a railroad...

The trail winds along the Bushkill Creek connects the old Simon Silk Mill on 13th Street to Third Street at the base of the stone stairs leading up to Lafayette College. The trail is paved and though...

The Kingston Branch Loop Trail is a trip up one side and down the other of the scenic tree-lined Delaware and Raritan Canal. The eastern half of the loop follows the bed of the Rocky Hill Railroad and...

Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...

In the early 1830s the Morris Canal opened across northern New Jersey, from Phillipsburg on the Delaware River to Newark, and later to Jersey City on the Hudson River. It provided a thoroughfare for...

Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway, which opened in June 2014, runs just shy of 4 miles between Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach. Both beaches permit swimming and provide opportunities to purchase...

The Ocean Parkway Trail closely follows its eponymous thoroughfare nearly 5 miles through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, ending only a block from the popular Coney Island boardwalk. Those traveling...

This trail is located in the Mahlon Dickerson Reservation which is a unit of the Morris County Park Commission. The trail follows an abandoned railroad bed through hardwood forests, past ponds, swamps...

The Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park follows the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which carried water to New York City from 1842 to 1955. Most of the structure lies beneath the trail and has...

Fahnestock State Park is a relatively undiscovered gems in the New York State Park System. Located a few miles east of Cold Spring Village on Rt. 301 (Main Street), the park jurisdiction was recently...

The Oxford Bikeway is a .9 mile long pave trail constructed on an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail can be accessed at three points. To the north the trail ends at Pequest Road, however there...

For a dose of rural scenery, head to the northwest corner of New Jersey, where this 27-mile rail-trail cuts a nearly uninterrupted path along the banks of the Paulins Kill, a Delaware River tributary...

This trail is much better suited to walking than to biking. It provides excellent access to the Pequest River which is stocked with trout. Not all of the bridges across the river have been decked and...

The Perth Amboy Harbor Walk offers scenic views of the Raritan Bay and Raritan River as it hugs the shoreline of the City of Perth Amboy, founded in 1683 and home to one of the nation's oldest ports....

The Quarry Trail is currently a 600-foot long unimproved strip of land along what is known as Quarry Road in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. The trail links Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic...

Randall's Island Park Trails offer a series of interconnected paved loops on an island in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The park offers a quiet setting, especially enjoyed by runners, with...

The Randolph Trail system covers 16 miles of pathways through five parks, the Clyde Potts Reservoir watershed and 2,000 acres of pristine open space. The trails link schools and neighborhoods and also...

The multi-use pathway spanning the length of New Jersey's Sandy Hook peninsula offers beautiful views of the ocean, as well as shady sections through maritime forest. A bird observatory and wildlife...

The Sussex Branch Trail got its start in the late 1840s as the narrow-gauge, mule-drawn Sussex Mine Railroad, whose primary purpose was hauling iron ore from the mines in Andover to Waterloo Village...

In June 1986, the Morris County Park Commission dedicated this recreation trail that runs parallel to the New Jersey Transit Line railroad tracks. The trail was developed with the cooperation of the...

The Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...

The Wood Duck Nature Trail, appropriately named for the secretive duck, was made possible through the hard work and dedication of refuge volunteers. This beautiful trail now extends about 1.5 miles on...

Recent Trail Reviews

D&L Trail

Very Good Trail

The only section I have not ridden on this trail is the 10 mile section from Mtn. Top south to White Haven but I'm told it's rough and single track - best for a mountain bike. There's a little strip mall at the trail head in White Haven, pizza, ice cream, drinks, bike rentals and restrooms all available. The 26 miles section from White Haven to Jim Thorpe is smooth, compact gravel with sections of shade, making it an enjoyable ride for any style bike. Quite scenic with numerous water falls. Restroom and water is available in Rockport, about the half-way point of this section. 1 star deduction for the following: tourist crowds on the weekends that don't know bike etiquette, it's a little rough for about the 1st mile south of White Haven and there's a soft spot or two as you approach Glen Onoko right after your cross over the railroad tracks. Follow the trail into Jim Thorpe, you have plenty of places to get something to eat and drink. The newly constructed bridge at the end of the parking lot will eventually connect the gap between JT and Lehighton. Once completed (2019, 2020?) you'll be able to bike about 3 1/2 miles of the eastern section of the trail, cross over the vehicle bridge in Weissport
and re-connect to the trail in Lehighton. Be careful of traffic on the bridge.
The 20 mile section from Lehighton to Northampton is similar to the White Haven to JT section, compact gravel, smooth, mostly shaded and perfect for any style bike. It's just about 10 miles to Slatington, which has a trailhead with restrooms and places to get drinks and eats. I recommend the hot dogs from the trailer in the parking lot. (The Slate Heritage Trail connects to the D&L in Slatington and offers an additional 6 mile round trip ride if so desired.) Continuing south the trail reaches Northampton. Take the left and ride across the bridge, then an immediate right and it's about 1 1/2 mile to a park and the end of this section.
NOTE: From Northampton and Allentown there's about a 7 mile gap that can be ridden on roads and streets also open to vehicle traffic. Use caution when riding on roads.
The trail starts again at Canal Park in Allentown and is now a towpath vs. a rail trail. The 18-20 mile section from Allentown to Easton can be bumpy, single track or tire tracks and there's one or two sections that can be very narrow. That said, I've had no issues riding this section with my hybrid bike. Predominantly shaded with a few places to stop and rest, but water and food may not be readily available without wandering off the path and into one of the towns along the way.
Once reaching Easton, the trail continues south along the Delaware for about 51-52 miles to Morrisville. Much of this section is a towpath, can be single track or tire tracks for much of the ride, but it's smoother than the towpath from Allentown to Easton. There's a couple of places along the way for refreshments and rest areas between Easton and Upper Black Eddy and be sure to make time to visit New Hope and Washington Crossing Park before finishing the ride in Morrisville.

Lawrence Hopewell Trail

Nice combination of trails

The LHT is many trails in one. We rode from the parking area (98 Carson Rd. in Princeton) to Bristol Meyers Squibb in Hopewell. To create a loop, we took Elm Ridge Rd. to Carter Rd. and back to the trail at the Educational Testing Service, then back to the car. If you map to this parking area, your GPS takes you to the right location. (I've mapped many trail parking areas that aren't where they say they are. ) It's obvious that the community has put a lot into the development of this trail. I would give it a B+ for signage. There were only 2 or 3 spots where it wasn't quite clear. One major one is if you ride through Maidenhead Meadows Park, there's a point in the woods where you come to a T-intersection. There's no marking to indicate you go to the right. When you reach the road (Princeton Pike), take a left to ride along the road. There is a decent shoulder, which makes for safe road riding. Within about a half-mile, you'll see the Brearley House sign at Meadow Rd. This is a short, worthwhile side trip to see the 1761 home of a Constitution signer. This is where the D&R Canal trail is located. It's also a nice area for a short rest and snack. This trail has a mixture of settings - historical, woods, roads, neighborhoods (beautiful homes), and parks. Any type of bike can be ridden on most of this trail. The wooded areas had a lot of downed branches and leaves that might make them a little tricky with a road bike. Princeton is a great town for its architecture, shops, and restaurants.

South County Trailway

Pretty, But Needs Maintenance

The trail itself is pretty and mostly quiet. Great turns, gradual hills, not a lot of stops. For runners or wider tire cyclists, not bad.
As a road cyclists, with a very stiff bike, it can be a bit jarring. Parts (about 3 miles up from Redmond Park) are basically corrugated roads. Extremely uncomfortable. You also have to be very alert to the changing conditions like sudden water and mud, and large unmarked dips and potholes. Really hard to maintain any speed over 17 or 18.
Hoping this gets better maintained! Would be a treat to ride.

Bethpage Bikeway

Many Trails in One Place

This is a nice trail, which passes through the Massapequa Preserve on the southern end. The northern end of the trail is located near the Syosset Long Island Railroad station, which makes it an easy destination for riders from the City. There are some street crossings, easy to navigate. There is one part of the trail that is confusing, where it crosses Sunrise Highway. There is a dental office across the street. When you cross the Highway, continue to the right and the trail picks up in about an eighth of a mile. The Bethpage State Park is huge. There are numerous mountain biking trails in the area. There are bathrooms at the Bethpage State Park parking/picnic area.

Henry Hudson Trail

Aberdeen to Sandy Hook

I rode the northern section of the trail last week. I started at the Oakshades Park trail head, rode to the end at Popamora Point park, and then continued on a (mostly) marked on-street bike path to the Highlands Sea-Bright Bridge over to Sandy Hook. The trail was in very good shape with a few sections of root bumps. Fine for a road bike.

Once over the bridge I easily accessed the Gateway National Recreation Area multi-use path which allowed for fine cycling throughout the peninsula.

On the way back I took a detour to the Mt. Mitchill Scenic Overlook which, according to the signage, is the highest point on the eastern seaboard south of Maine.

Including some exploring of the historic sites included in the Recreation Area and the detour, about a 45 mile out and back.

Hudson River Greenway

great trail with incredible sights

Heritage Trail (NY)

Beautiful trail

This is a beautiful paved trail for biking, running, walking, strollers, and wheelchairs. It is well-kept and offers scenic views--from rolling fields, to bridges, to train cars, to even an old cemetery. My husband and I biked the entire length and back on a gorgeous fall day. It was a really nice ride, but be aware that it is often a false flat trail. One other major thing to be aware of is that you CANNOT access this trail from Mary Harriman Park in Harriman. Your best bet is to access if from Monroe. If heading east on the trail toward Harriman, the trail comes to a dead end fenced off bridge with no access and you're forced to turn around and go back the way you came. Hopefully someday they will fix this and extend it into Harriman for better access. That is my only complaint about this otherwise beautiful trail.

Cross Island Parkway Trail

Newly paved trail is now open from the marina to Northern Blvd. This is a great ride especially during the week when it is not so crowded. As another reviewer stated one can extend their ride into nearby Fort Totten.

Newly paved trail is now open from the marina to Northern Blvd. This is a great ride especially during the week when it is not so crowded. As another reviewer stated one can extend their ride into nearby Fort Totten.

Bronx River Greenway

Short version starting in Bronxville to Kensico Dam (24mi RT)

No meter parking along Kimball Ave before Palmer Rd.
To avoid getting lost trying to connect to the bike path after passing the Scarsdales Train Station: exit at the station go north on East Pkwy; Rt on Crane Rd; Lf on Fox Meadows Rd (after Fenimore Rd) it changes to Walworth Ave and Lf on Greenacres Ave. The 2nd entrance to the trail is about 1/5 mile on the right.
There are restrooms when you reach the Kensico Dam.

Sussex Branch Trail

nice trail!

This was a great trail, but it gets very muddy after there has been some rain. I thought it would have more paved areas, but that is not the case. It is mostly dirt. Now that I know, I will be sure to try this trail again when it has not rained for awhile. Overall, great ride and nice scenery. We even saw two deer.